


Prove It

by slightlytookish



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Blackmail, Dubious Consent, F/M, Sex Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-20
Updated: 2011-02-20
Packaged: 2017-10-15 19:27:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/164169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlytookish/pseuds/slightlytookish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they return to Camelot, Morgana conspires to get Merlin alone and remind him of his place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prove It

**Author's Note:**

> Contains: Dubious consent (blackmail), sex magic.
> 
> Thank you to Sophinisba for the beta.

When they returned from Fyrien, Merlin waited for his inevitable encounter with Morgana. He knew it would happen; he had been openly suspicious of her every step of the way and it seemed unthinkable that she would let that pass without confronting him.

He expected her to corner him in some remote part of the castle, to drag him into an alcove in a deserted corridor and remind him of poison and of his place, and her power over him.

He didn't expect her to get to him in the easiest and most obvious way possible: through Arthur.

It happened the morning after their return, when he delivered Arthur's breakfast and found him already dressed and sitting at the table with Morgana.

"It's about time," Arthur said, though he didn't look as annoyed as his words might have suggested. "If you were any later it would be lunchtime. I can't imagine why you'd want him, Morgana."

Merlin's heart quickened its pace at that, and he darted a glance at Morgana. She met his gaze coolly before turning to Arthur, her eyes wide and her smile wider.

"Only if you can manage it, Arthur," she said, nudging his arm playfully. "Do you think you can handle a day without Merlin? Or will you lose your way between your bed and the changing screen?"

Arthur took the bait, of course, and in a moment he and Morgana were bickering like they always did. But Merlin's mind was racing; he didn't know what Morgana had planned for Arthur but she must have been plotting something. Why else would she want to separate them?

He dropped the tray onto the table with a clatter, nearly overturning the pot of honey and startling Arthur and Morgana out of their conversation. "What's going on?"

Arthur glared at the tray as though it had done him a grievous personal slight and gave a put-upon sigh. "Morgana has kindly given Guinevere the day off so that she can get her brother settled in. I think he means to reopen their father's forge."

"That's nice." Merlin had to fight to keep from looking at Morgana but he felt her eyes on him all the same. "Do you want me to go and give him a hand?"

Arthur snorted. "You'd probably set the place ablaze," he said. "Hardly the sort of welcome that Elyan deserves. No, I'm loaning you to Morgana for the day. She has a few chores for you to do in Gwen's absence."

Merlin finally turned to face her, and did his best to force a cheerful smile. "Wouldn't you prefer a lady's maid? I can find someone suitable for you, my lady."

"Don't worry, Merlin, I won't require you to dress me," she said. She was even smiling at him the way she used to, open and warm, like a friend. It made Merlin's eyes narrow in suspicion. She must have something truly terrible in store for all of them if she was putting on such a convincing show for Arthur.

Morgana didn't seem to notice his glare. "I thought you might help with a few tasks that often give Gwen trouble," she said. "My winter clothes, for instance. I need them put away but it's difficult for Gwen to lift the trunk on her own." She blinked at him innocently. "I know you'd do whatever it takes to help a friend."

He knew she was thinking about that day in the woods, when he'd confronted her whilst she was collecting firewood. It was the closest he'd ever come to threatening her outright, and he knew that she wouldn't have forgotten.

"Yeah," he said, refusing to look away or to back down. "I would."

"That's settled then," Arthur said. He dragged his breakfast tray closer and reached for the bread. "I'll see you tomorrow, Merlin."

It was a clear dismissal. Merlin had no choice but to go. "Yes, sire," he said, and followed Morgana out of the room.

*

"I need you to take down that trunk," Morgana said, pointing to where it sat at the top of the wardrobe. "Gwen had all my winter clothes washed and mended so there isn't anything else for you to do aside from putting them away. When you're finished, put the trunk back where it belongs. But first perhaps you could shift the wardrobe and sweep behind it; I know it's difficult for Gwen to reach back there."

Whatever Merlin had been expecting, it hadn't been this. He'd expected threats, or for her to try and hurt him - he still remembered how easily she'd thrown him against the wall. He'd even half-expected to find Morgause waiting for him in Morgana's chambers, magical chain and all.

He hadn't anticipated that she'd really want him to tidy her room.

"Yes, my lady," he said, and if she noticed the wariness of his tone she made no comment. Instead she sat before the mirror and fussed with the jewellery in her trinket boxes, and proceeded to ignore him.

Merlin kept one eye on her as he filled the trunk with woollen gowns and velvet cloaks, but when she finished at the mirror she merely sat by the window and read from a small leather-bound book. He remained on edge for the entire morning, even as the hours passed in near-silence, with Morgana only speaking to tell him to change the hangings around her bed or to scrub the floor by the hearth because it was rather dirty.

That's when he noticed it, when he was on his hands and knees and scouring the flagstones. He felt her eyes on him again and he looked up to find her watching him with a small, pleased smile on her face. She liked seeing him like this, he realised, she liked seeing him subservient and weak and doing whatever she bid him to do. The thought made his face grow hot in a way that it hadn't in her presence in a year or more.

Her smile grew when she saw his reaction, curving sly and speculative and making Merlin blush even harder. "Leave that," she said, setting her book aside and going to the table.

Merlin sat up, wiping his hands on his knees, and watched warily as Morgana approached carrying two goblets of wine. She held one out to him and when he didn't reach for it she laughed.

"I wouldn't poison you, Merlin, if that's what you're thinking. Though I'm not surprised that you would worry about such things."

The guilt rose in him again, familiar and aching, and he felt weary - weary for this game to end, for her to threaten him or insult him and just be done with it at last. "What do you want, Morgana?"

"Right now I'd like you to take this goblet before my arm falls off." She gave it an impatient shake, spilling some of the deep red liquid onto the flagstones he had so dutifully scrubbed. He watched the wine creeping over the stones and settling into the cracks for a moment before he accepted the cup.

Morgana leaned against the empty hearth and took a long drink of her wine, watching him all the while. "I never told Uther," she said. "But I could have. I still can. I'm sure he'd find it very interesting to hear all about how you stood over me and watched me die." She toyed with her goblet, scraping the nail of her thumb along the carvings etched on the stem. "Did you get the poison from Gaius?"

Merlin felt something cold and heavy settle in the pit of his stomach. "He had nothing to do with it. He was asleep, like everyone else. You _know_ this."

"Do I?" She tilted her head, looking perplexed. "I'm sorry, I must have missed that when I was _dying_." She smiled suddenly, bright and terrifying."Haven't we had this conversation before? It seems very familiar."

She looked down at him, still smiling and rubbing her thumb along the goblet, clearly waiting for a response. He glared up at her and gave a short, jerky nod.

"Oh, you do remember. I'd wondered, since you were so... confused at Fyrien. You seemed to think that I was trying to do something. I can't imagine what." She set the goblet on the mantel, all traces of her smile gone, and leaned down, her face close enough that he could smell the wine on her breath. "If you tell anyone about what you think you saw or heard or suspect, I will go straight to Uther and tell him what you did to me. Do you understand?"

Her words were harsh but when he looked into her eyes Merlin could see that she was frightened - that she was _terrified_ , really, and he thought he understood her then as he hadn't in a very long time. It was her fear that drove her, he decided, the same sort of paranoia that drove Uther, the kind of fear that left a person twisted and confused enough to make all the wrong choices. It made him feel sorry for her, even now, after everything she had done.

Something must have shown in his expression that betrayed his awareness - or his pity - because Morgana took a hasty step back, her eyes growing wider and more frightened. But just as quickly something seemed to shift inside her, something that made her eyes narrow and brought that sly smile back to her face.

"I don't know if I can trust you, Merlin," she said. "I think you need to prove it." She stepped close again and abruptly leaned down to kiss him.

Merlin tried to push her away but she resisted, holding his wrists securely with her hands and her magic. He felt his own magic rising up and growing warm under his skin, and he knew it wouldn't take much for him to send Morgana flying across the room. He'd done it before, after all. But there was another part of him, a traitorous part, that wanted this, that had always wanted this since the first moment he'd set eyes on Morgana years ago.

And so he kissed her back, drawing her closer with lips and tongue and teeth, until finally Morgana was the one to pull away. Her face was red and she was out of breath and she was holding his wrists so loosely that Merlin easily could have escaped if he tried.

He didn't.

Instead he stayed there, still kneeling on the flagstones, whilst she let go of him entirely and pulled up her skirts, layer after layer until she bared herself to him.

"Merlin," she said, low and dangerous. "Prove it."

And he did, licking between her folds and tasting her without the slightest hesitation, because he wanted it too, even though he knew he would hate himself for it later. He let himself be pulled closer, and didn't try to shake off the hands that settled in his hair and at the back of his neck, her touch gentler than he'd expected but still insistently guiding him where she wanted.

He felt himself grow hard and he shifted, resisting the temptation to touch himself in front of her. That was one thing he refused to give her.

But Morgana must have sensed it, or she must have seen the bulge in his trousers, because suddenly he felt something there, a light touch growing stronger. It felt like a hand was stroking him through the fabric and he realised that it was her magic, the same magic that had grasped his wrists before was now making him harder and more desperate with every touch.

"No," he said, jerking his face away. "I don't want-" But then her magic undid the laces and reached inside, drawing out his cock and touching him so that he moaned and snapped his hips forward, looking for more of that touch with no further thought of resisting.

"That's it," Morgana said, tugging at his hair until he slid his tongue inside her once more, moving it in time with her magic stroking his cock.

When they finally finished it was within moments of each other and Merlin couldn't remember who had come first. Her hand was still in his hair, pressing him against her hip, and he kept his eyes down as he fought to catch his breath. When he looked up he could see Morgana doing the same; her face was turned to the side and framed by her hair so that he couldn't see her expression.

At last she let him go and stepped away, and he tucked himself back into his trousers as she smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress. When she faced him again she took his chin in her hand, turning his face from side to side to see how wet his lips and chin were from her, and smiled.

"Yes," she said. "I think I can trust you not to tell. Especially since I'd have _so_ much more to tell Uther now."

Merlin's eyes narrowed. He could feel his magic rising again, fighting him to let it out, and he shook his head, not trusting himself enough to speak.

Morgana was still smiling when she let her hand fall away. "I'm so glad we have this arrangement." She looked down at the floor then, at the wine she had dropped and the seed Merlin had spilled, and frowned.

"When you've cleaned that you may go," she said, heading to the door without a backward glance. Merlin watched her leave and it took several long moments before he reached for the cloth and the soap and went back to scrubbing.


End file.
